Automatic trap for cable-conduits



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

I. BISHOP & A. F. L. BELL.

AUTOMATIC TRAP FOR CABLE GONDUITS.

No. 478,910. Patented July 12, 1892.

R g? g Q T "#L I E W My UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

IRA BISHOP AND ARTHUR F. L. BELL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC TRAP F OR CABLE-CONDUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,910, dated'July 12,1892.

Application filed January 29, 1892. Serial No. 419,709- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, IRA BISHOP and AR- THUR F. L. BELL, citizens of theUnited States, residing in the city and county of San Fran- 01800, Stateof California, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Traps forCable- Railway Tubes; and we hereby declare the following'to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relates to the class of cable railways, and especially tothe traps or openlngs in the tubes or tunnels thereof and through whichthe grips are intended to be removed from and replaced in the tube ortunnel.

Our invention consists, essentially, in openings into the tube ortunnel, controlled by doors or covers, and suitable connectionstherewith actuated by the car to operate said doors or covers to exposeand to close said openings.

It also consists in novel guides within the tube or tunnel to direct thedescending grip to position over the cable.

It also consists in the novel constructions, combinations, andarrangements hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed outin the claims.

It is usual in cable railways to provide openings in the top of the tubeor tunnel at suitable intervals, through which the grip can be removedand replaced. The necessity for using these openings has not heretoforebeen very great, because the reasons for removing the grip have beenfew, such as to readjust or to repairit. Consequently the doors orcovers of the openings have always been manipulated by hand; but in someroads the grip has to be removed oftener and for other reasonsas, forexample, where there are sections of the road over which the car travelsby gravity and there is no need to keep the grip in the tube, or, infact, where there is no tube at all. In such cases, therefore, the griphas to be removed and replaced, it may be, several times during eachtrip. It then becomes of importance to provide means for easilyuncovering said openings; and it is the object of our invention toprovide such means. This object we attain by the provision of means forautomatically accomplishing the result, which re suit is due to thearrival of the car itself at points 6.

the point where it is necessary to uncover the tube or tunnel.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof our invention, Figure 1 is a cross-section of a cablerailway tube,showing our automatic griptrap. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same.

A is the tube or tunnel of a cable railway.

B are the slot-irons in its top, and C are the ordinary track-rails ofthe road-bed.

At the point where an opening (designated by a) is to be the ordinaryslot-irons are omitted, and in their places are substituted the platesD, which at this place not only form the slot, but also constitute thedoors or covers of the opening.

Above the plates D on each side may be placed longitudinal separatedstringers X, which are on the roadway level and serve as a partial roofor housing over the plates, and to these stringers brace-strips Y may besecured.

The cover or door plates are carried upon the tops of levers E, whichare pivoted at the To the lower end of one of these levers, here shownas the one on the right, is connected an arm F, the outer end of whichcarries a weight W. The normal action of this weight is to keep thelever E in an upright position, in which its door-plate is held inwardlyto close the opening, and said lever is limited in its inward movementby the weight resting in the bottom of the pit or of any supporttherein.

G is a'three-armed bell-crank lever pivoted at g. The upper arm of thislever is connected with the left-hand lever E by a link 11, theconnection being an adjustable one, as shown. The inner arm of lever Gis connected with the weighted arm F by a link I. Thus the action of theweight W is to keep the left-hand lever E in an upright position to holdits door or cover plate D closed over the opening, and said lever E islimited by the weight, resting as before mentioned. Thus the normalposition of the door or cover plates is a closed one in which theycontinue the slot and cover the opening or trap into the tube or tunnel,and when moved from this position they will return to it as soon as themoving cause is withdrawn.

The power for operating the plates D is the car itself. Any suitableconnection may be employed to effect this, and said connections may beoperated by any portion of the car, as by contact with its grip or witha projection or arm on the car; but we prefer to operate through thewheels of the car, as follows: liehind and separated from one of thetrackrails O is a guide-rail .I, which is bolted to the rail near eachend. In the space or pocket formed between the track-rail and theguiderail is seated a presser-lever K, which at one end is pivoted at7;. This lever rises above the track and guide rails in agradually-increasing inclined plane to its free end, so that the wheelsof the car will run it down and dcpress it. On the under side of thispresserlever at a suitable point is a lug 7.2, and with this isconnected a link L, the lower end of which is connected to the outer armof the lever G.

In the drawings the plates D are shown as being below the slot-irons;but this is not essential and is only due to the presence of theroof-stringers X, under which they work, said stringers being on theroad-level. If these stringers were not present, the cover-plates Dcould be placed on alevel with the slot-irons.

The operation is as follows: Then the car reaches the presser-levcr K,its wheels depress said lever, and through the lever G and itsconnections the two upright levers E are thrown backwardly, therebyseparating the door or cover plates D and exposing the opening in thetop of the tube or tunnel, through which the grip can be removed or canbe replaced, if previously removed. As soon as the car passes from andrelieves the presserlever the weight \V will return the parts to theirnormal position.

It is well in replacing the grip to provide some means for accuratelyguidingit down to position to take the cable. These means c011- sist ofthe fixed separated guide-bars M, located and supported suitably in thetube or tunnel. The descending grip N is received between and guidedproperly by these bars to position over the cable 0.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cable railway having a tube or tunnel provided with an openingfor the removal and insertion of the grip from and into said tube ortunnel, a door or cover controlling said opening, and connections withsaid door or cover actuated by the car to operate it and cause it toexpose and cover said opening, substantially as herein described.

2. In a cable railway having a tube or tunnel provided with an openingin its top for the removal and insertion of the grip-frame from andintosaid tube or tunnel, a swinging door or cover controlling said opening,and connections with said door or cover actuated by the car to swing thedoor or coveropen and closed, substantially as herein described.

In a cable railway having a tube or tunnel provided with an opening inits top for the removal and insertion of the grip-frame from and intosaid tube or tunnel, a door or cover controlling said opening, a leverin the road- Way actuated by the car, and connections between said leverand the door or cover, whereby the latter is operated to expose andcover the opening, substantially as herein described.

4. In a cable railway having a tube or tunnel provided with an openingin its top, the opposing plates D, separated to form the slot andconstituting the door or cover of the opening, and connections actuatedby the car to throw said plates from and toward each other to expose andcover the opening, substantially as herein described.

5. In a cable railway having a tube or tunnel provided with an openingin its top, the opposing plates D, separated to form the slot andconstituting the door or cover of said opening, a lever in the roadwayabove actuated by the car, and connections between said lever and theplates D to throw them from and toward each other to expose and coverthe opening, substantially as herein described.

6. In a cable railway having a tube or turnnel provided with an openingin its top, the combination of the opposing separated plates D,controlling said opening, the pivoted levers E, upon which said platesare carried, connections with said levers actuated by the car for movingthem from each other to cause their plates D to expose the opening, anda weight to return them to cover the opening, substantially as hereindescribed.

7. In a cable railway having a tube or tunnel provided with an openingin its top, the combination of the opposing separated plates D,controlling said opening, the pivoted levers E, by which said plates arecarried, a lever above actuated by the car, and connections between saidlever and the levers E, whereby the latter are separated to cause theirplates to expose the opening, and a weight to return them to close theopening, substantially as herein described.

8. In a cable railway having a tube or tunnel provided with an openingin its top, the combination of the opposing separated plates D,controlling said opening, the pivoted levers E, by which said plates arecarried, the weighted arm F, connected with one of said levers, thebell-crank lever connected with said weighted arm and with the other ofsaid levers, and connections with said bell-crank lever actuated by thecar above to operate it, substantially as herein described.

9. In a cable railway having a tube or tunnel provided with an openingin its top, the combination of the opposing plates D, controlling saidopening, the pivoted levers E, by which said plates are carried, theweighted arm F, connected with one of said levers, the bell-crank leverconnected with said weighted arm and with the other of said levers, thepivoted resser-lever in the roadway above, tion to take the cable,substantially as herein adapted to be actuated by the car-wheels, anddescribed. the link connectingsaid presser-lever with In witness whereofwe have hereunto set the bell-crank lever, substantially as herein ourhands.

5 described.

. 10 I N n h (r t b t IRA BISHOP.

n a ca erai (i y a ,V1Il 2t u eor un ARTHUR F. L. BELL. nel providedwith an openingin its top to per-- mit the removal and insertion of thegrip, the Witnesses: fixed separated guide-bars in said tube or tun- B.F. WILKINSON,

I o nel for directing the descending grip to posi- S. MOADAMS.

